Difference
by IdrianWatzon
Summary: He'd always known he was different, but he'd never believe the ones around him were monsters.
1. Onikakushi hen

**Onikakushi-hen**

From the moment Keiichi had moved to Hinamizawa, he'd known he was different from all the others. They treated him as naturally as any close friend would and even forced him to join in on their goofy, time-wasting games. It had been wonderful and extremely exciting. But the childish fun hadn't lasted as long as he would have liked.

Rena had been the first to change, and it hadn't been for the better. Her cute, adorable, cuddly side would disappear swiftly whenever he pushed his limits, bringing out a side even a monster could compete with. The way she would snarl out _Usoda_, then appologize a thousand times, "Gomen, Gomen, Gomen... Gomen, Keiichi-kun..."

It was agonizing; too much for him to take. Such a sweet girl with such a gruesome inner demon. Maybe his life just hadn't been meant to live. His life was threatened and when Tomitake died and that woman went missing, the meters of danger had only grown.

That had been the reason for his carrying the bat. It was the perfect thing for protection, and it put a good, thick line between him and Rena. It was Satoshi's, after all.

Satoshi... Satoko's older brother, the one who had gone missing a year before at the Watanagashi festival. The secret that had torn apart the tiny friendship Keiichi had held with Rena, Mion, and even the other girls. The secret of Oyashiro-sama and the curse of Hinamizawa.

Being cornered had never put Keiichi at ease. Rena and Mion had seemed like silent devils, slowly breaking through his mind and cracking it in half as most people do an egg. They'd tortured him to the point where he actually broke.

He hadn't quite known why he'd done it in the end. Maybe it had really been Oyashiro-sama and the curse. Either way, beating those two girls into his bedroom floor had almost been a relief, if not for that tiny moment. Even when they begged, pleaded, tried to help him out, he had still smashed the bat down. With all his strength, all his feelings, and all his anger, he'd killed the two girls that had first become his friends in Hinamizawa.

His entire control was lost with their lives and soon after he'd gone off in a rush, hurrying from the figures that chased.

In the phone booth, dialing Oiishi's number, Keiichi's sanity and hopes had been slautered. As he dug at his throat, tearing deep and feeling the blood goosh and the pain collide with his fingers, Keiichi realized one last thing. Oyashiro-sama had won. In the end of a fancy, torturous game of cat and mouse, three lives were lost.

But it was only the beginning.


	2. Watanagashi hen

**Watanagashi-hen**

As the new kid in town, Keiichi had felt almost at ease around the cute, slap-happy girls he called his friends. They had welcomed him with such enthusiasm, he'd fallen into their natural way of things. With club meetings and childish games to boot, Keiichi had found the fun enjoyable. But maybe there was something... Untold. Something kept as a secret.

Mion's telling of a twin had been strange. At first, Keiichi hadn't believed her. But as the "other" half, Shion, talked with him, he could almost tell when changes occured. Sometimes it was obvious it was Mion, other times he couldn't quite tell. The confusion placed upon his mind hadn't been at all relaxing. Especially when the mood swings started.

Mion was always tomboyish. Nice, but tomboyish. When Keiichi had finally figured out the truth, thus learning that Shion and Mion really had been twins, everything had changed.

The so-called existance of Oyashiro-sama had splintered Keiichi's hopes. Not only had Tomitake and Takano died, but also the fact that only two would leave their lives. Two deaths, yet no sacrifices. Keiichi had panicked, as had the beautiful, but terrified Shion.

They had grown scared, unsure of what would happen next. Before they knew it, more had gone missing. This included the adorable little Rika-chan, whom Keiichi had told the truth to not hours before.

It had been then that Keiichi had turned to Rena. She had been a mastermind, her solving abilities shocking both him and maybe even herself. Rika and little Satoko's disappearances had been solved before their very eyes. Suddenly it seemed so very obvious and simple.

Mion had been the one. All along. Her anger had grown quiet as Keiichi had strode through the gardens, but had appeared full-blow when the rock smashed down across his head. He'd seen it all. Poor Shion in the cage, whimpering in horror at her sister's presence. The maniacal laughter of Mion in her insanity. The cries of "gomen" ringing through the room, the taunts of Mion... No, the Demon. Keiichi had been relieved when Rena had saved him.

He'd thought he'd been let free, even when he'd been stabbed. But at the hospital, Mion came _back_, a hammer in hand to prove her point.

When the metal top came down, Keiichi knew. He knew as easy as one, two, three. His pain, his suffering... _Her_ pain, _her_ suffering... They'd both believed a terrible truth, and they'd both been led to a horrible ending. A terrible game of Master and Pawn, one that lead to death and torture. A sacrifice of unwilling souls to a demon of Hell.

Oyashiro-sama was winning... Again...


End file.
